DAVIS, Calif. — Senior biomedical engineering major Morgan Bertsch sank a turnaround jumper from just inside the free throw line with 0.9 seconds remaining to break a 74-all tie, and host UC Davis survived a half-court heave by visiting Saint Mary's as the buzzer sounded, lifting the Aggies to a 76-74 victory over the Gaels on Monday night at The Pavilion.

The victory extended UC Davis' season-best winning streak to four consecutive contests, improving to 7-5 overall on the season and extending its winning streak to four straight over its long-time rival.

Bertsch, who finished with a game-high 22 points to go with four rebounds, was joined in double figures by junior communication major Nina Bessolo, who added 14 points on a quartet of three-pointers, and senior psychology major Karley Eaton, who added a career-high 12 off the bench to go with five assists and five steals.

Senior psychology major Kourtney Eaton, who finished with six points, four rebounds, and six assists — the last of which led to Bertsch's game-winner on the out-of-bound play and helped the Longview, Wash., native pass Angelo Rivers, a four-year letter winner for the UC Davis men's team from 1982-86, for the most assists by any player in school history with 468.

Led by a 14-point, 14-rebound, double-double from Megan McKay, Saint Mary's — which entered the night ranked No. 17 in the most recent College Insider Mid-Major poll as of Dec. 11 — fell to 5-4 overall, getting 17 points from Madeline Holland and 16 more from Sydney Raggio.

In an ending eerily similar to one two seasons ago between the same two teams at The Pavilion that was won on a floater by the Aggies' Rachel Nagel that beat the buzzer, UC Davis led by three, 74-71, with 14 seconds to play after Karley Eaton hit 1-of-2 from the line. A timeout by the Gaels gave them the ball in the front court and Emily Codding, who entered the night as the team's leading scorer, came through to tie the game, draining a three-pointer from the top of the key with 2.8 seconds to play.

Another timeout, this one by the Aggies, then moved the ball to the home side of the court for the final play as Kourtney Eaton began the sequence from just in front of the UC Davis bench. Bertsch, bumped off the free throw line, curled down the left side to receive the pass, spun left to create some space before lofting a right-handed shot over a Gaels' defender, and swished the attempt for the 76-74 lead.

After a break to check the clock, Saint Mary's, which was out of timeouts and unable to advance the ball into the front court, now had to go the length of the court to try and tie or win the game. Raggio had a look from just inside mid-court, but her attempt missed wide left as the horn sounded, giving the Aggies the win.

The Gaels led by as many as five on two occasions in the opening quarter before UC Davis caught fire, exploding for a 17-5 run to build a seven-point lead of its own at 26-19 after the first 10 minutes — an advantage that grew to as many as 13 points just two minutes into the second quarter at 34-21 on a three-pointer by Kourtney Eaton.

Saint Mary's reeled the Aggies back to with six points, but a basket inside by sophomore cell biology major Cierra Hall, a basket by Bertsch, and a three-pointer by Karley Eaton, grew the lead back to 13 points before UC Davis settled for a 10-point, 48-38, advantage at the break.

A huge third quarter by Saint Mary's saw the Gaels out-score the Aggies, 15-8, in the period, using a 12-2 run midway through the quarter to tie the game at 52-all on a three-pointer by Holland with 3:33 to play. A Bertsch jumper and a basket by Hall around a free throw by Saint Mary's gave UC Davis a 56-53 lead at the end of the third.

The Gaels took their first lead since the opening quarter on a Holland jumper with 8:17 to go in the fourth, and Saint Mary's led by a pair on a Claire Ferguson lay-up 40 seconds later before the Aggies rallied once again. A pair of free throws by junior biological sciences major Sophia Song sparked a 9-2 burst by UC Davis for a five-point, 66-61, lead and the Aggies led by that same number with 2:28 to play, setting the stage for the big finish.

The two teams shot almost identical percentages from the floor (.476 for Saint Mary's and .475 for UC Davis), with the Aggies hitting 40 percent from beyond the arc. UC Davis, which forced 18 Gaels' miscues, turning those into 30 points to the good, received scoring contributions from up-and-down the lineup, as eight of the nine players who entered the game found their way into the scoring column.

A 12-day break follows for the holidays before the Aggies return to the court on Saturday (Dec. 29) at 2 p.m., hosting Dominican University in the team's non-conference finale at The Pavilion.

ABOUT UC DAVIS
Providing a small-town community feel while providing a world-class academic experience, UC Davis is home to more than 37,000 students and centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley. The No. 5-ranked public university in the nation according to the Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education, and among the top 10 public universities nationwide according to U.S. News and World Report, UC Davis offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 academic majors across four colleges and six professional schools, ranking among the world and nation's best in numerous disciplines, including veterinary science, agriculture, and plant and animal programs.

AGGIE EVO
Launched in 2017-18, the Aggie EVO System is UC Davis Athletics' investment in the primary mission of preparing student-athletes for a successful "launch" after graduation. Thanks to a collaboration of alumni, university resources, corporate partners, coaches and Student-Athlete Outcomes staff, all Aggies are guided over four years to acquire the skills, knowledge, opportunities and tools to better know and navigate the "World of Work" after graduating from UC Davis. Follow the Aggie EVO system on Twitter and Instagram at @AggieEVO.